Many different shipping container designs have been developed over the years, some having relatively elaborate interior shelf and article-positioning systems. One such example is found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,667,090 to Langham et al., which discloses an octagonal shipping container for shipping stackable manufactured articles. The Langham container includes a plurality of attached slotted wall panels defining an interior storage cavity. Langham further discloses a plurality of shelf arms which project through the slots to engage goods positioned in the storage cavity. Langham represents one method of storing and shipping stackable manufactured articles, in particular steering wheels. However, there is always room for improvement. For instance, the Langham container must be laid on its side upon a support fixture for loading, necessarily increasing the time and effort required to place articles into, or remove them from, the container. Further, Langham requires a separable fastener to secure the sides of the container.
Co-owned U.S. Pat. No. 6,832,562, herein incorporated by reference in its entirety, describes a shipping container for stackable articles. The container includes a base assembly, a plurality of side assemblies, to top assembly, and a plurality of shelf assemblies. The base assembly, side assemblies, and top assembly are preferably constructed of a multiple layer, corrugated laminate, and are attachable to one another, defining an interior storage space. Each shelf assembly includes a plurality of shelf support blocks with a plurality of face sections distributed along a length, and a shelf flap. The shelf assemblies are secured to the sidewall assemblies, and positioned in the storage space to engage manufactured articles, for example sunroofs, positioned therein. The design of this container provided certain advantages including the elimination of wood augmentation in the container, thereby meeting customer requirements that mandated the elimination of wood due to infestation concerns. Furthermore, the likelihood of damage to articles shipped within this container was substantially reduced due to the enhanced strength of the shelf assemblies. The load time of sunroofs, for example, was also substantially reduced given the prefabricated shelf assemblies within this container. Nevertheless, continued goals include providing even stronger shelf assemblies, and reducing the manufacturing complexity associated with shipping containers.
It is thus desirable to construct a container for stackable goods that can be easily assembled and loaded, yet is strong and durable. The present invention addresses one or more of the limitations or problems associated with the related art.